International Multilingual Journal of Contemporary Research

The Queen of Sheba - in the Context of the Ethiopiannational Legend
doc. ThDr. Peter Caban

Abstract
The theme of the study is the origin, subject and context of the Ethiopiannational legend Kebra Nagas t in the research of biblical and extrabiblicalresources which mention the queen of Sheba. The study takesintoaccount the context of Jewish provenience related to the history of from the biblicalviewpoint, particularversions of the legend, history of itsresearch, translationsas well as other important historical facts about this Ethiopianleg end Kebra Nagast from the viewpoint of biblicaltheology and comparativereligionistics. The wholestory of the queen of Sheba in this legendis presented from the view of thisvisitor. Vastspaceisgiven to the paraphrase of the Old Testament episode (chapters 21- 32).From a shortstory recorded in the texts of the Old Testament, in Ethiopia there came into existence some kind of nationalstory or evennovel. Particularthreads of the storyline of the mysteriousvisitor from Shebawereextendedaninterpretedasitis in the Midrashforexample. Nowhereelse in the East or in the West the meeting of Solomon and the queen of Shebadescribed in the Old Testament textsacquiredsuch a nation-forming importance than in Ethiopia where historical and politicalcons tellations and religious identity werebased on the biblicalevents from the past.

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